Scan barcode
tegaaa's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent sequel to Nexus. Started Apex right away to see how the whole series ends. Really good books.
martyfried's review against another edition
4.0
I had mixed feelings about this series. I rated it a little higher because the science is, to me, believable and real. I've been into computers and electronics off and on for over 40 years, and "modern" computers for over 25. I was a programmer using the internet by 1990 (mainly newsgroups at that time), so I felt right at home with a lot of the technical talk. Much of the technical terms would be above an average reader's comprehension, though. If that were the case with me, I don't know if I would have enjoyed it very much.
I've read a lot of similar stories where human consciousness is uploaded, duplicated, backed up, etc; it makes you wonder just what makes us who we are, and whether we can effectively live on after our body dies. After all, people have parts of their body replaced without becoming less human, so what if you replace your entire body, and duplicate your memories and brain's capabilities? If you haven't read books that explore these concepts, you might be interested in that aspect of the book.
I also found it interesting to have servers running inside your brain, like having a server running on your computer. This is something else I've had a lot of experience with, so it all seemed real and understandable to me.
However, the main story was a different beast. I was often not sure who were the good guys and the bad guys. Perhaps that was part of the reason for the story - that people are not black or white. Many of the people did bad things for good reasons, but it's hard to know whether they were right to do these things - like trying to force their solutions on people. It was often hard to really be sympathetic toward any of the characters. The one I liked best was Feng, a clone who was built to be a fighter/killing machine. He was definitely the most entertaining to me. But overall, I found the story itself to be unsatisfying.
I've read a lot of similar stories where human consciousness is uploaded, duplicated, backed up, etc; it makes you wonder just what makes us who we are, and whether we can effectively live on after our body dies. After all, people have parts of their body replaced without becoming less human, so what if you replace your entire body, and duplicate your memories and brain's capabilities? If you haven't read books that explore these concepts, you might be interested in that aspect of the book.
I also found it interesting to have servers running inside your brain, like having a server running on your computer. This is something else I've had a lot of experience with, so it all seemed real and understandable to me.
However, the main story was a different beast. I was often not sure who were the good guys and the bad guys. Perhaps that was part of the reason for the story - that people are not black or white. Many of the people did bad things for good reasons, but it's hard to know whether they were right to do these things - like trying to force their solutions on people. It was often hard to really be sympathetic toward any of the characters. The one I liked best was Feng, a clone who was built to be a fighter/killing machine. He was definitely the most entertaining to me. But overall, I found the story itself to be unsatisfying.
tbartelloni's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
laplaine's review against another edition
3.0
Book 2 picks up following the release of Nexus to the world. We learn a fair amount of backstory and get introduced to new, complex characters. Theres something about this not-too-distant technology that makes this world Naam has created close enough to reality to make it compelling (and shocking). I quick read, finishing this pretty much locks me in for the third installment, adding it to my queue.
diesmali's review
4.0
Really cool action packed near future sci fi. I just wish the perspectives didn't change so fast.
tkadlec's review against another edition
4.0
Crux picked up where Nexus left off, letting us see the impact of a post-human technology being used by the masses. It's a stronger novel than the first book. Though I enjoyed Nexus, it could get a little preachy at times—pushing the underlying ideas a little too heavily. Crux seems more mature. It still explores some really interesting concepts, but it feels better integrated into the story this time.
I also really appreciate how the ideas in the book are backed by current technological advancements. In both this and Nexus, Naam follows the last chapter up with a section describing how similar technologies are being used in real-life today.
Really looking forward to book #3.
I also really appreciate how the ideas in the book are backed by current technological advancements. In both this and Nexus, Naam follows the last chapter up with a section describing how similar technologies are being used in real-life today.
Really looking forward to book #3.
nerdking's review against another edition
The longest it ever took me to read a book. It was hard to read at times, because of the clunky writing, but I really wanted to finish.
onemanbookclub's review against another edition
3.0
Great action, annoying philosophy
I've said it many times in my book reviews...I hate being preached to. If I want someone to try to persuade me to join their cause or become a disciple of their point of view I will read their non-fiction book on the topic. If I read your fiction I'm not interested in your philosophy! I want to be entertained, not proselytized!
That said, the times when Crux wasn't trying to convince me to become a Buddhist or that the corrupt government is out to get us, this book was pretty cool. I liked it better than Nexus. Now that the characters have been with me for two books, they are starting to develop meaning and become more than just words on a page. The action was really, really cool! Of course I should have know the story wasn't going to stop with Crux. Now I'm stuck in the middle of a story with no sequel in sight.
Watch out for the swearing. Someone needs to get this guy a thesaurus. Other than that, as long as you're an adult and interested in science fiction-action (heavy of the science) I say go for it. The worst part is that you have to read Nexus first!
I've said it many times in my book reviews...I hate being preached to. If I want someone to try to persuade me to join their cause or become a disciple of their point of view I will read their non-fiction book on the topic. If I read your fiction I'm not interested in your philosophy! I want to be entertained, not proselytized!
That said, the times when Crux wasn't trying to convince me to become a Buddhist or that the corrupt government is out to get us, this book was pretty cool. I liked it better than Nexus. Now that the characters have been with me for two books, they are starting to develop meaning and become more than just words on a page. The action was really, really cool! Of course I should have know the story wasn't going to stop with Crux. Now I'm stuck in the middle of a story with no sequel in sight.
Watch out for the swearing. Someone needs to get this guy a thesaurus. Other than that, as long as you're an adult and interested in science fiction-action (heavy of the science) I say go for it. The worst part is that you have to read Nexus first!
eat_a_tron's review against another edition
5.0
Good lord this series is so good! Solid writing, believable characters, fantastic/terrifying ideas.